Prestige car owners 'may go electric'

Thousands of prestige car drivers would think about buying an electric vehicle if a single charge gave it a range of 300 miles, new research suggests.

Researchers asked more than 24,000 BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes and Audi drivers if they'd consider purchasing such an electric model if its price, performance and style were similar to the one they already drove.

And almost two-fifths of those questioned for the WeLoveAnyCar.com survey said they would, with only 17% saying they'd never consider it.

A spokesman for WeLoveAnyCar.com said the findings suggested that manufacturers wanting to hold on to their market share should consider putting more investment into the development of electric cars.

He said the research also suggested that drivers with high levels of disposable income were just as keen to have a fuel-efficient car as those with less money.

At the moment the only car which has the range and performance referred to in the question put to motorists is the Tesla, which is made in the US.

But the new research suggests that European brands could benefit from all-electric technology over the next few years.